Raise your hand if you really want to stop thinking about book marketing and just write your next book.

I don’t even have to see you to know lots of hands are in the air.

You could be suffering from the heartbreak of psoriasis book marketing overwhelm.

You’ve learned that it’s not enough to just write a book. If you want people to read it, you have to tell them about it.

And getting your book title in front of the right people takes time, knowledge, and effort.

Why you experience book marketing overwhelm

There’s so, so much you “should” be doing to promote your book (or so gurus, promoters, and other authors tell you …).

Are you feeling pressure to use TikTok? (I sure am.)

And don’t forget about Instagram! Oh, right, there’s Facebook, too!

What about those new social networks popping up — you’ll have to figure out how to use all of them effectively too, right?

Build an email list! Email marketing is where it’s at!

You have to get publicity in the news media!

Get out there with a virtual book tour!

Reader reviews! Get them! Then get more of them!

Be a podcast guest! How about creating and hosting your own podcast, too!

Create videos! People love watching videos!

Blog, blog, blog! Then write guest blog posts for others, too. Might as well blog on Medium, as well.

And this is just a start. There’s so much you “need” to do to promote your book.

Or is there?

Do you really need to be doing all of this? Do you need to do any of it? Can you do just some of it?

Pick just one …

Here’s an unexpected idea: How about picking just one tactic and mastering it?

Does that sound more appealing?

What’s that tactic, though?

… but which one?

Determine the single tactic you’ll master by spending a little time upfront learning which of the many options appears to be a good fit for:

• Where you will find the people who are most likely to read your book
• The time you have available for marketing
• Your skills
• Your personality
• What you enjoy doing

Find the intersection of where you’ll find your readers and what you enjoy doing and are good at.

It’s that simple.

If you’re shy, you don’t need to master public speaking simply because it’s a good way to reach your audience. 

Is writing your thing? (It’s definitely mine.) Building an email list and creating a newsletter for your readers makes sense. So does blogging and guest blogging.

If you love creating short YouTube videos for your young adult readers, figure out TikTok and share them there, too.

Master that single tactic

Then, when you identify that one tactic that puts you at the sweet spot where you’ll reach the right people doing something you enjoy, learn how to do it really well.

Learn how to do it better than anyone else.

Later, if you feel you can take on a second tactic, repeat this process. Learn how to use it effectively, then make things happen.

When you focus on a tactic you understand and enjoy, you’ll start to look forward to connecting with your audience in ways that support your overall author goals, not dreading it.

Permission to avoid book marketing overwhelm

Give yourself permission to find this focus so you avoid book marketing overwhelm.

Limiting yourself to one or two tactics while tuning out the rest (no matter what you hear from others) is liberating.

It will help put you in the mindset to write that next book while freeing up time for that project, as well.

And you’ve done it all while avoiding book marketing overwhelm.

What do you think of this idea? Would you like to master just one book marketing tactic, not all of them? Let us know in a comment. 

(Editor’s note: This article was first published in August 2015. It has been updated and expanded.)

Affiliate Disclosure: This post contains Amazon Associates links, which means if you click on them and make a purchase, I will receive a couple of pennies (at no extra charge to you).

One of my biggest challenges as an author is figuring out how to find time for book promotion.

Is it one of yours, too?

This is especially difficult when you work full time and must write and promote outside employment.

It’s a challenge we all need to tackle, though, if we want people to read the books we write for them.

You are responsible for promoting your book

Finding time for book promotion around a launch and months (even years!) later is essential if you want to sell books. Whether your book is released by a traditional publisher or you’ve gone the indie route, you are responsible for your book’s publicity and promotion.

Publishers that provide book launch support usually only offer it for a few months at the most. That’s not enough for most books — you’re just building momentum then, momentum you don’t want to lose. If you’re self-publishing, you’ve known all along that this job is yours and yours alone.

How to find time for book promotion: 8 tips from authors

So how do you find the time for it? I’ve got a few suggestions, but would love to have more, so please share your tips in the comments section.

You might not be able to implement all of these, but if you get just one good idea from this list, it’s a good day, right?

1. Re-allocate your writing time.

You carved out time to write the book, didn’t you? Maintain that schedule, using that time for book promotion, instead.

While her manuscript is with the publisher, Michele Hollow, author of the forthcoming Jurassic Girl, The Adventures of Mary Anning, Paleontologist and the First Female Fossil Hunter, is learning how to promote a  middle grade reader and visiting local libraries and booksellers to build relationships and learn more about how she might collaborate with them when her book is released.

2. Use your phone.

This one is my favorite – it has helped me get more done in unexpected places.

Rather than scroll through her social media feeds while waiting for her restaurant order or in line, Stenetta Anthony, author of Ella Learns to Dance, uses that time to post on social media instead.

Arthur Montgomery, author of So You Want to Retire, uses his to answer interview questions from home, while Diane Currie, author of Before My Eyes uses hers for Internet access in a workplace that doesn’t allow employees to go online for personal reasons.

3. Get outside help for easier tasks.

Not everybody can afford to hire a social media manager, but many can pay a college student or a smart teenager for well-defined tasks.

Mary Hanlon Stone, author of invisible girl, a young adult novel, hired several teenagers to talk about her book on social media and at school. Mary Lucas uses college interns to manage the social media promotion of Lunchmeat & Life Lessons.

4. Batch-create social media content.

If I don’t use a content creation tool like video editing often enough to feel proficient, it seems like I’m re-learning the technology every time I want to use it again. Does that happen to you, too?

Counter that by batch-creating content. Set aside a chunk of time to create one type. It might be recording several book-related short videos, designing social media images in Canva, or writing  social media posts. 

via GIPHY

Next, set aside a block of time to use a social media scheduling tool to “drip” out that content over time. You can set it and forget it.

Kris Bordessa wrote and scheduled much of her social media and newsletter content for Attainable Sustainable: The Lost Art of Self-Reliant Living early, before the book’s publication date.

“I took the time up front to write various blurbs about my book — some seasonal, some not — and have those set to repeat on social media and in my newsletters. This means it’s happening without me having to think about it and people who didn’t see it the first time through might catch it the next time,” she says.

5. Create “pre-made” responses to frequently asked questions, then copy and paste when responding.

Nick Newsad, author of The Medical Bill Survival Guide, uses this approach when responding to Help a Reporter Out (HARO) queries and certain types of e-mail interviews.

6. Set daily promotion goals.

Henry Brown, author of Hell and Gone, tries to accomplish at least one marketing objective before going to bed.

Mark De Binder, author of Serial Terror, sets a time-based goal every day – whether it’s 10, 20, or 45 minutes – to keep him on track.

7. Work through lunch.

Like many others, K.S. Brooks, author of Lust for Danger, makes book promotion-related telephone calls during her lunch break and while running errands. Others use this time to answer promotion-related e-mail or do book marketing research.

8. Get up early.

Michelle Risley, author of Smash, gets up 30 minutes early every day to blog.

Jim Joseph, author of The Experience Effect, does much of his book promotion before leaving for his work day.

I can’t stress enough how important it is to find time for book promotion before, during, and long after your book’s launch.

If you don’t tell your ideal readers about your book, they won’t know about it. Reaching the right people in the right places with the right messages takes time and repetition. Making it a priority will help ensure it happens.

Make time to learn how to promote your book, too. My online courses and digital resources will help. Learn more here.

What’s your best tip for making time to promote your book? Please tell us in a comment.

(Editor’s note: This article was first published so long ago that you’d laugh if I provided a date. It has been updated and expanded.)

I don’t have enough time.

Do you feel the same way?

Do you struggle to keep up with all your work, family, and home responsibilities and find time to write and market your books?

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. Could I create a personal system that might help me better manage the short periods of time — 5 minutes here, 10 minutes there — while I wait in line or before joining a Zoom meeting or calling a source for an interview?

Quick and easy book marketing tasks

I’m starting by listing quick and easy tasks I can tackle in those brief in-between periods. It might be reading an article I’ve saved or tracking down someone’s contact information.

This approach will help you accomplish more book marketing tasks, too. All it takes is a little advance planning.

What book marketing tasks do you think you can start and finish in five minutes or less?

I’ve started a list here with five I know I can do in that window. What should go on yours?

Book marketing task 1

Find something to share on the social network you use the most for book promotion.

To make this easy for me on Twitter, one of several platforms I use, I created a Twitter list of people I consider to be influencers. When I’ve got a couple of minutes, I scroll through the list looking for something to share.

Here’s what part of it looks like:

I can re-tweet someone else’s information easily or share it on other social networks.

Most social networks offer an easy way to share other people’s content either within that platform or to another social network.

Book marketing task 2

Subscribe to a newsletter that will help you up your game.

This could be an advice newsletter or one published by a top author in your genre or category.

Here are a few book-related newsletters I recommend in addition to mine, Build Book Buzz:

• BookLife by Publishers Weekly: BookLife is PW’s website for indie authors. The newsletter includes a mix of book news and how-to information.
• Cynthia Swanson: Cynthia’s newsletter is a good example of what you can send when you’re a novelist. I like her information mix that includes book recommendations.
• Derek Doepker: In addition to providing book marketing advice and resources, Derek is a great email-writing role model.
• Kindlepreneur: You might have heard about Dave Chesson and his exceptional content for authors. If you’re not already on his list, sign up and start learning.
• Reedsy: This publishing resource platform offers helpful information for fiction and nonfiction authors.

Are you thinking, “I get enough email already“? Professional development is important to your growth as an author, and these newsletters will contribute to that.

Book marketing task 3

Follow three successful authors in your genre on social media.

Start with the platform where you’ll find your readers. Hen lit? Facebook. YA? TikTok. Business? LinkedIn.

You probably know who to follow. If you’ve done this already, find and connect with three more.

via GIPHY

Why do it?

You will learn from them and their followers. And, if handled properly, you can build relationships with these authors.

Book marketing task 4

Create an image quote to share on social media.

Using the WordSwag app on my iPhone, I can do this while stretched out in my La-Z-Boy recliner in front of the TV watching a favorite show. (There’s that “two-fer” idea again.)

Here’s one I created with WordSwag using one of my own photos. The app also provides all kinds of background options that include photos from Pixabay and Unsplash.

There are other smartphone apps and online platforms you can use from a smartphone or your computer. I’ve listed a few of them in “How to create book promotion quote graphics that help you sell.”

With a little practice, you’ll be able to create an image quote in less than five minutes.

When you’re done, share it on your social networks the next time you have about five minutes.

Book marketing task 5

Comment on a blog you’d like to visit on your virtual book tour.

Virtual book tours are easier to set up when you’re not contacting strangers to host you, so take early steps to become known to them.

Months before your book comes out, start researching blogs that would be good homes for your virtual book tour (author blog tour). When you have a few minutes to spare, visit one and leave an appropriate comment on a recent post.

Do this enough times and the blogger will know your name when you’re ready to schedule your tour.

Start your book marketing task list

To make sure you do these and all the other activities you can pull off in five minutes or less, write them down.

With a list at hand, you won’t waste any time thinking about what you should do next.

And, when you need to add another step that you don’t have time for at the moment — like sharing the image quote you’ve just created — add it to the list. You can share it when you have another five minutes.

Get ideas in your inbox every day for a year

Need more ideas? Subscribe to my “365 Daily Book Marketing Tips” for just $1 or purchase the downloadable full collection with all 365 plus 10 bonus tips.

Each day for a year, I’ll send pithy book marketing advice to your inbox.

Take action as soon as you receive a tip that will work for you and your book, or use them to build a task list you’ll act on later.

It doesn’t take a math whiz to see how much farther ahead you’ll be at the end of the week if you turn brief moments of down time into productive book marketing time.

What five-minute book marketing tasks do you recommend? Please share them in a comment! 

(Editor’s note: This article was first published in October 2017. It has been updated and expanded.)

I don’t have enough time.

Do you feel the same way?

Do you struggle to keep up with all your work, family, and home responsibilities and find time to write and market your books?

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. Could I create a personal system that might help me better manage the short periods of time — 5 minutes here, 10 minutes there — while I wait in line or before joining a Zoom meeting or calling a source for an interview?

Quick and easy book marketing tasks

I’m starting by listing quick and easy tasks I can tackle in those brief in-between periods. It might be reading an article I’ve saved or tracking down someone’s contact information.

This approach will help you accomplish more book marketing tasks, too. All it takes is a little advance planning.

What book marketing tasks do you think you can start and finish in five minutes or less?

I’ve started a list here with five I know I can do in that window. What should go on yours?

Book marketing task 1

Find something to share on the social network you use the most for book promotion.

To make this easy for me on Twitter, one of several platforms I use, I created a Twitter list of people I consider to be influencers. When I’ve got a couple of minutes, I scroll through the list looking for something to share.

Here’s what part of it looks like:

I can re-tweet someone else’s information easily or share it on other social networks.

Most social networks offer an easy way to share other people’s content either within that platform or to another social network.

Book marketing task 2

Subscribe to a newsletter that will help you up your game.

This could be an advice newsletter or one published by a top author in your genre or category.

Here are a few book-related newsletters I recommend in addition to mine, Build Book Buzz:

• BookLife by Publishers Weekly: BookLife is PW’s website for indie authors. The newsletter includes a mix of book news and how-to information.
• Cynthia Swanson: Cynthia’s newsletter is a good example of what you can send when you’re a novelist. I like her information mix that includes book recommendations.
• Derek Doepker: In addition to providing book marketing advice and resources, Derek is a great email-writing role model.
• Kindlepreneur: You might have heard about Dave Chesson and his exceptional content for authors. If you’re not already on his list, sign up and start learning.
• Reedsy: This publishing resource platform offers helpful information for fiction and nonfiction authors.

Are you thinking, “I get enough email already“? Professional development is important to your growth as an author, and these newsletters will contribute to that.

Book marketing task 3

Follow three successful authors in your genre on social media.

Start with the platform where you’ll find your readers. Hen lit? Facebook. YA? TikTok. Business? LinkedIn.

You probably know who to follow. If you’ve done this already, find and connect with three more.

via GIPHY

Why do it?

You will learn from them and their followers. And, if handled properly, you can build relationships with these authors.

Book marketing task 4

Create an image quote to share on social media.

Using the WordSwag app on my iPhone, I can do this while stretched out in my La-Z-Boy recliner in front of the TV watching a favorite show. (There’s that “two-fer” idea again.)

Here’s one I created with WordSwag using one of my own photos. The app also provides all kinds of background options that include photos from Pixabay and Unsplash.

There are other smartphone apps and online platforms you can use from a smartphone or your computer. I’ve listed a few of them in “How to create book promotion quote graphics that help you sell.”

With a little practice, you’ll be able to create an image quote in less than five minutes.

When you’re done, share it on your social networks the next time you have about five minutes.

Book marketing task 5

Comment on a blog you’d like to visit on your virtual book tour.

Virtual book tours are easier to set up when you’re not contacting strangers to host you, so take early steps to become known to them.

Months before your book comes out, start researching blogs that would be good homes for your virtual book tour (author blog tour). When you have a few minutes to spare, visit one and leave an appropriate comment on a recent post.

Do this enough times and the blogger will know your name when you’re ready to schedule your tour.

Start your book marketing task list

To make sure you do these and all the other activities you can pull off in five minutes or less, write them down.

With a list at hand, you won’t waste any time thinking about what you should do next.

And, when you need to add another step that you don’t have time for at the moment — like sharing the image quote you’ve just created — add it to the list. You can share it when you have another five minutes.

Get ideas in your inbox every day for a year

Need more ideas? Subscribe to my “365 Daily Book Marketing Tips” for just $1 or purchase the downloadable full collection with all 365 plus 10 bonus tips.

Each day for a year, I’ll send pithy book marketing advice to your inbox.

Take action as soon as you receive a tip that will work for you and your book, or use them to build a task list you’ll act on later.

It doesn’t take a math whiz to see how much farther ahead you’ll be at the end of the week if you turn brief moments of down time into productive book marketing time.

What five-minute book marketing tasks do you recommend? Please share them in a comment! 

(Editor’s note: This article was first published in October 2017. It has been updated and expanded.)

Did you know that a little-known feature lets you save those links to read later?

It’s my new favorite time management tool.

Before, I’d either try to remember what I’d seen later when I had more time to read (didn’t work) or take a quick screenshot on my phone (only worked if I was looking at Facebook on my phone). Now, with a couple of clicks, I can save everything that interests me and read it later when I have the time (or I’m procrastinating).

I created a short video that shows you how to do it.

Save a Facebook link

Rather read than watch to learn how to save a Facebook link? Here’s a loose transcript.

1. On the post you want to read later, put your cursor on the little arrow in the upper right of the post. Click on it.
2. Look for “save link.” Click on it.
3. To find your saved links, select “home” from your top toolbar, then go to the left side of the screen. Under “explore,” click on “saved.”

Pretty easy, right?

This is a particularly useful resource for authors who are in learning mode.

You’ve probably liked Facebook Pages that help you learn more about writing, publishing, and book marketing, and you’ve joined groups where you can discuss issues, ask for help, or learn from the experiences of others. (Pro tip: you might want to like the Build Book Buzz Page and join the Build Book Buzz discussion group.)

Pages, groups, and some personal profiles often share links to articles that will help you solve a problem or keep you current on industry trends. Personal profiles are more likely to generate posts with links to all kinds of interesting content, from funny videos to newspaper articles on current events to recipes.

There’s a lot there that can teach or entertain us, so learning how to save and access what’s most useful when we have time for it makes a difference.

Time management for authors

It’s all about time management. It feels like there’s never enough time to read, write, market, and do everything else in our lives. Any tool that can help you better manage that time is a gift.

In fact, maybe we can use this post to help fellow authors save time or be more efficient.

What’s your favorite time management tool or tip? Please share it in a comment.

If you can help just one person, it will be worth the couple of minutes it takes to share it. Thank you!